HR0530 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0530 LRB102 21138 ECR 30129 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Kendall County Sheriff Dwight A. Baird has been named Sheriff of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird started his career in law enforcement in 1990 as a deputy for the Kendall County Sheriff's Office; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird was hired by the Oswego Police Department a year and a half later; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird rose through the ranks of the Oswego Police Department to obtain the rank of chief of police in 2003, retiring in that position in 2014; and

WHEREAS, While with the Oswego Police Department, Sheriff Baird worked in Investigations, Patrol, and Undercover Narcotics and was a member of the Special Response Team; and

WHEREAS, During the same time, Sheriff Baird also served as the interim village administrator for Oswego from April of 2011 to June of 2012 and as a volunteer fire fighter for the Oswego Fire Protection District for nine years; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird was elected to the Office of Sheriff of Kendall County in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird graduated from Waubonsee Community College with an associate's degree in Applied Science (Criminal Justice), Aurora University with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies (Criminal Justice Management), and Western Illinois University as a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society with a Master of Arts in Law Enforcement Justice Administration; he also earned a number of certifications, including as a Police Executive, the FBI National Academy, the FBI LEEDS Program, and the National Sheriffs' Institute; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird is a member of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, the National Sheriffs' Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird is also a past president of the North East Multi-Regional Training Board and a past board member of the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Agency, the Kendall County Public Action to Deliver Shelter, and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird has been recognized for his achievements throughout his career, including receiving an Illinois Police Association Life Saving Award, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Medal of Valor, and two Metropolitan Enforcement Group Director Awards, being named the 1997 Oswegoland Optimist Police Officer of the Year, receiving the 2006 Governor's Medal of Honor and the 2007 Youth Service Volunteer Award, and being named the 2014 Illinois Crime Commission Police Chief of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird initiated several educational programs for Kendall County inmates, implemented a new video visitation program at no cost to taxpayers, formed a new domestic violence response team, community partnerships, and outreach programs, implemented body worn cameras, and initiated many other improvements to communicate with the public; and

WHEREAS, The Kendall County Jail, under the Kendall County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division, is one of only six jails accredited by the American Correctional Association; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Baird has displayed outstanding professional standards in law enforcement and advanced field training and exemplifies the great service and safety programs of Kendall County; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Sheriff Dwight A. Baird on his recognition as the Illinois State Crime Commission's 2021 Sheriff of the Year and thank him for his decades of service and dedication to the Village of Oswego, Kendall County, and the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sheriff Baird and the Kendall County Sheriff's Office as an expression of our esteem and respect.